Resident Found Guilty of Months-Long Campaign of Harassment
Brentwood resident Jonathan Lipman, 36, was convicted Thursday of a federal felony for stalking a New Jersey state court judge through a sustained campaign of threats and harassment, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Lipman was found guilty of one count of stalking after a three-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest in September 2023 and now faces up to five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for October 3 before U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha.
Between February and September 2023, Lipman sent dozens of threatening emails to the victim, an acting Superior Court judge in New Jersey, with the intent to harass, intimidate, and instill fear, prosecutors said. The threats grew more graphic over time, despite a prior warning from law enforcement advising him to cease the behavior.
In addition to the emails, Lipman located the judge’s home address, contacted a neighbor to spread fear, and left multiple voicemails at the courthouse directed at the victim. In July 2023, he escalated the threats by sending explicit messages that described violent fantasies involving the judge’s death.
The FBI conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clifford D. Mpare of the General Crimes Section and Daniel H. Weiner of the Transnational Organized Crime Section.
